He Commanded

'Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, FOR HE COMMANDED AND THEY WERE CREATED. He has also ESTABLISHED THEM FOREVER AND EVER; He has made a DECREE which will not pass away.' [Psalm 148:1-6]

He commanded all things into being by His Word.

John 1:1-3 puts it this way:

'In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD WAS GOD. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.' [John 1:1-3]

And of course, there's Colossians 1:16...

'For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.'

Okay, so we know that Jesus is the WORD and that all things were made by or through and for Him.

We also know, from Psalm 148, that when God gives a command or decree, things are created and established forever. One very big example of this is the first couple of chapters of Genesis. He spoke and it was, period.

We also know, from Psalm 119:89 and Isaiah 40:8 that His Word is settled—stands—forever.

What Does That Have To Do With Me?
I'm glad you asked.

Remember 2 Corinthians 1:20?

'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him if our AMEN [so it is, so be it] to the glory of God THROUGH us.'

Hallelujah!

What about 1 Corinthians 3:21-23?

'For all things belong to you...all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.'

Or Galatians 3:29?

'And if you belong to Christ, then you Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.'

What exactly was that promise? The he would be heir of the world! [Romans 4:13] And we know from Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ!

This Will Cramp Your Brain...
Get this. God has already rested from His works, according to Hebrews 4:3. And what He has commanded or decreed has already been created!

His Word stands forever!

The 'all things' that belong to us have been created by command, before the foundation of the world, just like "Let there be light!"

We may not be able to see them with our natural eyes, but like Hagar's well, Isaac's ram and Elisha's army, they are there, none the less.

The Bible says that the Lord REVEALED the well to Hagar. It was there already, He did not create it at the moment of need! He was Jehovah Jireh, the One Who Sees Ahead and Provides!

Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes might be opened, that he might SEE the army encircling them.

And we are told, specifically, to LOOK at the eternal things which are NOT SEEN. [2 Corinthians 4:18]

Decreed
So, the Word that says whatever we ask of the Father in the Name of Jesus, He will give it to us has been decreed and stands forever, just like the decrees in Genesis 1.

Or, the Word that says He will give us our hearts desire is already established forever in the spiritual realm of the unseen.

How about the Word that says 'by His scourging we are healed?' Or the command that angels have been given charge to guard us in all our ways?

What about the promise of great wealth in our houses, or Wisdom filling our treasuries—our bank accounts— with wealth? Or the promise that the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous?

Okay, Okay...But What About The Here And Now?
I can hear you thinking out there...why? Because I've thought the very same thing.

Great. Everything belongs to me, I'm healed, I'm rich, angels protect me. But if it's all in the spirit realm, what good does it do me here where I live?

Read You Are The Second Witness. As demonstrated through the Prophets of old, God's Word must be spoken in the earth for it to come to pass. He gave authority in the earth to man [male and female] and man reigns by his tongue, for good or evil. Remember, life and death is in the power [or hand] of the tongue! [Proverbs 18:21]

In other words, you take it by faith, just as you took the New Birth.

But what does it say? "The WORD is near you, in your MOUTH and in your HEART"—that is, the WORD of faith which we are preaching, that if you CONFESS with your MOUTH Jesus as Lord, and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the HEART a person BELIEVES, resulting in righteousness, and with the MOUTH he CONFESSES, resulting in salvation. [Romans 10:8-10]

Sounds a lot like Mark 11:22-24, right?

'And JESUS answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. TRULY I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his HEART, but BELIEVES that WHAT HE SAYS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, ALL THINGS for which you pray and ask, BELIEVE that you have RECEIVED them, and they will be granted you."'

This is JESUS speaking here! He is telling us how things work, because HE IS WORD! He was there, according to John 1, Proverbs 8 and Colossians 1, an integral part of the creation process! And now, according to Hebrews 1, He is UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER!

[sorry for screaming, I just can't help it...]

See It, Believe It, Say It
So, much to the chagrin of the majority of preachers out there, the Bible method of taking what God has already provided seems to be the spoken word of faith.

First, you see it in the Word and believe that it exists and that it is for you, now. Then you agree with God...decree a thing it will be established. [Job 22:28]

He said it first and it was created. You say it into the earth and it is revealed in the natural realm.

Hallelujah!

Kings and Princesses

My eyes glanced over a verse last night and it took my breath away. I quickly turned back to it and read...

"Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet; and you will know that I am the LORD; those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame." [Isaiah 49:23]

What I realized in that instant was how much God loves me, and how He sees me. To Him I am the true royalty of the earth, the daughter of The King. I, together with my brothers and sisters in Christ!

And I am so precious to Him that He has assigned kings to be my guardians and princesses to be my nurses! They will serve me because I am the daughter of the Most High God!

Think of it...Jesus said that the least in the Kingdom, which is surely me, would be greater than the greatest prophet in the Old Covenant, John the Baptist.

Why? Because I am one Spirit with the Lord...I am in Him, and He is in me. I am seated in Him in heavenly places....born of God, born of the imperishable seed which is the living and enduring Word of God.

Royalty.

Hallelujah!

Steadfast of Mind

We know that, according to Proverbs 23:7, as a man thinks within himself, so he is.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us 'The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.'

The Hebrew word for peace in this passage is our old friend, shalom...completeness, soundness, peace, safety, prosperity, health.

He will keep us in peace when we keep our mind steadfast, trusting in Him.

3 John 2 says 'Beloved, I pray that in ALL RESPECTS you may prosper and be in good health, just as YOUR SOUL prospers.'

In other words, you are on the outside what you are on the inside first!

Romans 12:2 confirms:

'And do not be conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, so that you may PROVE what the will of God is, that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT.'

[I love this verse]

We are transformed on the outside, proving what is on the inside first! Renew the mind, transformation follows!

Back to Isaiah
So, when we read Isaiah 26:3, we see that when we trust God and His promises, peace—completeness, safety, prosperity, health—follows.

So if your life isn't what you wish it were, if it doesn't line up with the promises of God, which are YES in Him, it's time to renew your mind.

Trust in Him. Trust in His promises and His ability to perform them.

Be like Abraham.

'In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and BEING FULLY ASSURED THAT WHAT GOD HAD PROMISED, HE WAS ABLE ALSO TO PERFORM.' [Romans 4:18-21]

Not just able, but willing

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." [Luke 12:32]

"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure...'" [Isaiah 46:10]

'Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.' [John 14:13]

'Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.' [Ephesians 3:20,21]

"You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it." [Jeremiah 1:12]

[I particularly love that last verse...it reminds me of the Father of the prodigal son, watching at the gate just in case his son should round the corner!

Psalm 147:15 tells us that 'He sends forth His command to the earth; His Word runs very swiftly.'

The Father is watching over His Word, sent out into the earth, to perform it!

Hallelujah!!

Keys of the Kingdom [re-post]

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." [Matthew 16:19]

I always wondered about the tenses in this verse. The phrase 'shall have been' is a future perfect tense in Greek and stumped me, until I understood the implications from a Quantum Physics point of view.

Reality?
Einstein is often quoted as saying 'Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.' We know that there is much discussion about the past, present and future residing in parallel, and that there is no time or space in the Spirit.

I think Jesus was confirming this. What we bind [or forbid] on earth shall have been bound [already] in heaven...what we loose [or allow] on earth shall have been bound [already] in heaven. These are definitely quantum ideas.

What does it mean? Well, consider this: we're already seated with Him in heavenly places [Ephesians 2:6]; we've already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ [Ephesians 1:3]; and His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. [2 Peter 1:3]

Next, remember that 1) His Word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89]; 2) His Word does not return to him without accomplishing what He sent it for [Isaiah 55:11]; and 3) His works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3].

Talk about quantum realities!

We Control the Flow
I think that Jesus is revealing the truth about our authority in the earth. We are called to reign in life through the One Christ Jesus [Romans 5:17]--Psalm 110:1, 2 says 'The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Your enemies."'

He is to rule through us! That's why we've been given authority over all the power of the enemy! That's why we've been given the keys of the Kingdom--to forbid and allow, according to the will and word of God!

And what we allow or forbid has already been done in heaven! Time to get busy! Time to open the gates of blessing on the earth and bind the enemy's operation! We control the flow, because God has already done everything He's going to do, which is everything!

Hallelujah!

With Us

What is one of the most important revelation for the Christian today?

That we are One Spirit with the Lord, filled up to all the fulness of God, strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.

That we have died and Christ is living in this earthen vessel right now. The the Father and the Holy Spirit dwell within, as well.

That we're not alone, not waiting for God to move. That He has promised NEVER to leave or forsake us.

That He told us to speak to the natural world and it would obey us...why? Because He's in us, performing His word! Because 'Now unto Him Who is able to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY beyond ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, according to THE POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US, to Him be the GLORY IN THE CHURCH and in CHRIST JESUS forever and ever. AMEN [so be it]!!

That's why all things belong to us...because we belong to Him and are One with Him, and He belongs to God!

Because He is the heir of the world [Hebrews 1:2] and we are His joint heirs—sort of a joint account, or when siblings all receive an equal share of their parents' will!

He is the LORD OF GLORY and we are one with Him!!!

What's More...
We are in covenant with God the Father in the Blood of Jesus!

True covenant means what ever belongs to one party belongs to the other...strength, debts, wealth, favor, enemies. They are covenanted together, forever.

Marriage used to be an example of this, until we had quickie divorces, keeping-their-own-name feminists and his-n-her bank accounts.

A true covenant between two parties means that whatever belongs to one party belongs to the second party, whether good or ill. Parties used to covenant together to strengthen their weaknesses...in fact, royalty used covenant marriage to cement relations between kingdoms.

And we are in Covenant with God! We are born of Him [1 John 5:1,4], born of His seed [1 Peter 1:23]!

One with Jesus, born of God, filled with His Spirit. The BRIDE of Christ!

He is with us always [Matthew 28:20], even to the end of the age. He will never desert or forsake us [Hebrews 13:5].

Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David
We study the great patriarchs of old, men of great faith who performed marvelous exploits by the power of God.

'You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which you swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with mill and honey.' [Jeremiah 32:21,22]

God was with them, and His anointing was on them...but He was not in them. They were not one Spirit with Him an they were not filled with all of His fulness! He and His mighty power were with and on them but not in them...can you see the difference?

As wonderful as they were, they were spiritually dead. Their power came from a covenant with God, and their faith was credited to them as righteousness.

But we were crucified with Christ, buried with Him in baptism, raised up with Him and seated together with Him in heavenly places! One Spirit with the Lord!

That's why there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus [Romans 8:1]...because we are One with Him. The one who deserved condemnation was crucified with Him, slain with Him before the foundation of the world!

Hallelujah!

What Would Jesus Do?
So ask yourself, your born-again, one-Spirit-with-the -Lord self, what would Jesus do in any situation that faces you?

What's more, what would God the Father do?

In John 14-17, Jesus makes some pretty wild claims. That He and the Father would live in us along with the Comforter—the Holy Spirit. That's the Trinity, people...all of it, not just a teaspoon or two!

He said repeatedly that He and the Father were One...do the math! If we're one with Him, and He is One with the Father, then we are One with the Father!

He's no longer just with us, He has placed Himself and all that He is IN US! No, it's not blasphemy, it's the Word of God!

No wonder He told us to speak to trees and mountains and they would obey! What would Jesus do? What would the Father do? What would the Holy Spirit do?

They wouldn't put up with sickness or poverty or distress of any kind, I can tell you that!

Think about this...God told Joshua that no man would be able to stand before him all the days of his life, just as He was with Moses, He would be with him. [Joshua 1:5]

If no man could stand before Joshua, who can stand before us who are filled up to all the fulness of God? Jesus Himself said that the least in the Kingdom of God would be greater than the greatest prophet of the Old Covenant! Why? Because we are One with Him!

Why haven't we walked in this? Why haven't we fulfilled Roans 5:21, reigning in life through the ONE, Jesus Christ?

Why haven't we fulfilled Colossians 2:9,10 or Ephesians 1:22,23?

'For in Him ALL THE FULNESS OF DIETY dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete...'

'And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His BODY, the FULNESS of Him Who fills all in all.'

Don't just skim over these passages because you've read them 100 times. Meditate on them...what can this possibly mean?

Could it be that we've been lied to, indoctrinated out of our power and true calling?

Hmmm...

Think about all of the wonderful things that Jesus did when He walked the earth, and then think about one of the last things He said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." [John 14:12]

I can't speak for you, but I'm not doing greater works than Jesus did. I can't even find a church in my area that will lay hands on the sick, at least not with any faith that it will actually work!

Because we're told, over and over, how weak we are, how sinful we are, how we shouldn't expect too much, how we shouldn't want too much, maybe the answer is no, maybe the tragedy is God's will, blah blah woof woof.

Now I wonder where those lies comes from...

Think about it.

Read Thoughts on the New Birth, Think Like God, Vessels of Power, An Eternal Perspective...God's POV

The Church

Something's wrong.

If the New Testament is true, and it is, each Christian is one Spirit with the Lord, rooted and grounded in love and filled up to all the fullness of God.

Jesus said that the least one in the Kingdom would be greater than the greatest prophet of the Old Covenant, and that we would do greater works than He did.

The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, Peter and Luke, has declared that all things have been given to us and we are partakers of the Divine nature, the Word multiplied.

The Word also teaches us that Satan is defeated and we have been given authority over ALL his power...Jesus came specifically to destroy his works, which are killing, stealing and destroying.

These are all direct quotes from the Word, people! I didn't make this up, it's all in the Word!

When you look at it from this point of view, each local church should be a powerhouse in it's own area, a collection of born-again sons and daughters of God, reigning in life.

But is that power being harnessed for the Kingdom? I think not.

In most cases—even in so-called Full Gospel or Charismatic churches—you've got one guy up in front, making half-hour speeches on what people are doing wrong, how the Bible doesn't really mean what it says, why God might not heal you, why God took your child, why you shouldn't want too much and sometimes the answer is no.

Hmmm...

I've got news for you. The people in the pews are just as much full of God as the guy in the front! God didn't dole out His power in teaspoons, with some getting more than others!

Are they perfect, from a natural point of view? No...but neither is the guy at the front! In the Spirit, they all look just like Jesus!

Colossians 1:11 says we're strengthened with ALL POWER, according to HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT! It doesn't say the star at the front has more power than the teenager sitting in the last row!

Your Only Problem

The only problem you have is unbelief.

If you are born again of the imperishable seed which is the living and enduring Word of God, you are one Spirit with the Lord. [1 Peter 1:23, 1 Corinthians 6:17].

You are an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ...all things belong to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. [Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 3:21-23]

The Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom and He has given you all things richly to enjoy. [Luke 12:32, 1 Timothy 6:17]

So what's the problem? Why are Christians sick, poor and struggling?

Either the Word is true or it's not.

'So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

'For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but THE WORD THEY HEARD DID NOT PROFIT THEM, because it was NOT UNITED BY FAITH in those who heard.

'...and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience...' [Hebrews 3:19-4:2,6]

Israel did not enter into God's best will because of unbelief, period.

Their father, Abraham, was a different story. He received God's promise because he did not waver in unbelief.

'Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not WAVER IN UNBELIEF but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.' [Romans 4:19-21]

Jesus told us that we could move mountains by the tiniest portion of faith...and since we're one Spirit with Him, we have His faith. Please not that He put no restriction of any kind on this promise but one...

'And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and DOES NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.' [Mark 11:22-24

There's only one problem, and it's not the devil...he is already defeated.

It's unbelief. And it is sin.

All Things Are Your Servants

'Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for ALL THINGS ARE YOUR SERVANTS.' [Psalm 119:89-91]

Compare this with 1 Corinthians 3:21-23...

'For ALL THINGS belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; ALL THINGS belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.' [1 Corinthians 3:21-23]

All things, all things, all things.

The Hebrew word for thing is dabar....translated both word and thing, because words are things.

We are heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, one Spirit with the Lord. [Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 6:17]

Galatians 3 and Romans 4 tell us that Abraham was appointed heir of the world, and that in Christ, we are Abraham's descendants, HEIRS according to promise!

And whatever we bind, or forbid, ON EARTH shall HAVE BEEN bound in heaven; whatever you loose, or release, ON EARTH shall HAVE BEEN bound in heaven. Jesus called these the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which the Father has gladly given us! [Matthew 16:19, Luke 12:32]

"ALL THINGS are possible to HIM WHO BELIEVES." [Mark 9:23]

All things are God's servants, or slaves...and they now belong to us in Jesus! We have been given power to bind and loose them IN THE EARTH, because it is already established that they should obey us in heaven.

So?
What do you do with servants or slaves? YOU TELL THEM WHAT TO DO...and they do it, or else.

That's why Jesus told us to talk to things and they would obey. That's why the Old Testament is full of examples of men and women speaking words that changed physical circumstance. That's why Psalms and Proverbs are full of examples and instruction on using the mouth.

God called David a man after His heart. [Acts 13:22] Read his Psalms and take note of every time he says 'I said...' and then look to see what he said!

Psalm 91 is a great example...

"I will SAY to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" [Psalm 91:2]

The rest of Psalm 91 is the RESULT of David's words. The protection and salvation outlined in verses 3 -16 are the direct consequence of what he said in verse 2!

How about when David faced Goliath? Read about it in 1 Samuel 17 and pay special notice of what David said. He told Goliath what he was going to do, and then he did it! As Kenneth Copeland says, David shot his mouth off, and Goliath shot his mouth off. David's mouth won!

Why? Because he was in covenant with God, and part of that covenant was '...from the fruit of a man's mouth he enjoys good...' [Proverbs 13:2]

Hallelujah!

Just Do It
So if all things now belong to us, they are our servants, too! Command those servants! Tell them to go, or come, or whatever you need them to do.

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know one of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 68:11,12.

'The Lord gives the command [word, promise]; the women who proclaim the good tidings [good news] are a great host: [and this is what they said...] "Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!"' [author's comments]

They may have been behind the lines, but they were just as responsible for the army's victory as the men who fought! And they DIVIDED THE SPOIL!!!

I can't stand it!

Do it today. Exercise your right to command all things.

Sorry for all of the !!! marks...I just couldn't help it.

You Can't Get What You Don't See...

I was begging God to do something for me that I know He has already done. But, like a lot of us, I wasn't seeing it, so I started whining...

I heard, pretty clearly, "You can't get what you don't see..."

My immediate response was, of course, "Show me in the Word."

I didn't hear anything right away, so I though "Hah! No Bible proof, I'm not biting."

About five minutes later, I SAW Hagar and her well, Abraham and Isaac's ram, Elisha's angelic army...they were all REVEALED! These things were already there, in the spiritual realm, but were revealed before they could be received and used.

How do I know they were already there? Because He has rested from His works! He has cut covenants, both Old and New, and part of those covenants is provision. In fact, one of His Names is Jehovah Jireh, the One Who sees ahead and provides!

I knew immediately that He was answering me, showing me the proof that I had requested.

Why, oh why do I doubt Him?

I'm sure He's asking the same question...

Revealed
I've written many articles on this blog about the unseen realm of the Spirit. We've seen in the prophets of the Old Covenant that they would SEE a word...the Holy Spirit speaks in both Word and pictures. I guess He's equally left- and right-brained!

His works were finished from the foundation of the world...why? Because there is no time in the Spirit...He is eternal, both forward and back. Actually, that's a linear comparison...I think it's really more circular than flat, or more like a 3D sphere, probably.

And we know that Quantum Physics is proving all of this.

Anyway, God spoke and it was created...all of it, not just Genesis 1! It's ALL already there, including us, seated in heavenly places!! Hallelujah!

But we must know it to lay hold on it, a knowing that sees the invisible reality.

'...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are NOT SEEN; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are NOT SEEN are ETERNAL. [2 Corinthians 4:18]

'Now faith is the assurance—actual existence—of things hoped for, the conviction—proof—of things NOT SEEN.' [Hebrews 11:1, author's notes from Greek Lexicon]

'By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.' [Hebrews 11:3]

'By faith Noah, being warned by God about things NOT YET SEEN, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.' [Hebrews 11:7]

Notice that in Hebrews 11:7, the flood was a thing not yet seen...it did not say that it hadn't happened yet! I know this is a brain wrencher, but stay with me.

The eternal things are not seen...that does not mean that they do not exist! How else could Hebrews 4:3 says that God has rested from His works?

Abraham
Think about Abram...an old man with an old, barren wife. God told him he would be the Father of Nations...then He SHOWED him the stars in the night sky and told him that's how many children he would have. He also used another visual metaphor, telling Abram that his children would be as numerous as the sand.

Abraham believed God...he believed the vision God gave him, and that faith became the substance...the reality...of Isaac, and all future generations of Jews and Christians!

And Jesus...

'Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He SEES the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and SHOWS Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel." [John 5:19,20]

And us...
God has revealed things to us, too, by the Holy Spirit.

'...but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED for those who love Him." For to us God REVEALED them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. [1 Cor 2:9,10]

Did you see it? These things—these ALL THINGS—are ALREADY PREPARED for us by God! And He reveals them by His Spirit! Just as He revealed the well for Hagar and Ishmael!

To reveal means to make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others; to cause or allow (something) to be seen. I can't stand it!

And remember, the kingdom of God is within you...the kingdom that the Father has ALREADY given us!

'How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!' [Psalm 84:5]

'The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.' [Luke 6:45]

One of my favorite verses is Colossians 2:3...

'...in whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'

And He is in us, and we are in Him.

Hallelujah!

Prayer

What if you had a promise from God that every prayer you prayed would be answered? How would that change your attitude to prayer? Would you pray more often? Would you pray differently, for more people and circumstances?

Well, you've got it! This is reposted from June 16, 2009...

Anything?

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in My name, I will do it." [John 14:13,14]

Our prayer requests, made in light of scripture, are no big deal for God to grant. It's like asking a fantastically rich, incredibly powerful ruler who loves you and whose child you are for a penny and permission to sleep out in the barn! Psalm 23:5 says

'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever .'

First, we have no enemies in Heaven, so the table is here, now. Food and wine refer to covenant, which we have in Jesus...all we need is already on the table, here.

We are anointed with the Holy Spirit, with power and wisdom, set apart and sanctified for God. Our cup of the New Covenant overflows with the Blood of Jesus...every sin is complete obliterated, and we have peace with God. Therefore goodness and lovingkindness will follow us! Hallelujah!

Psalm 23...Overflowing?
The first 3 verses of Psalm 23 speak of God's prosperity for every aspect of man. The first statement is astounding—the Lord is my Shepherd—shepherds have complete responsibility for their sheep, to protect, provide for, and get them to where they should be. Therefore, because my Shepherd is no mere man, but the Lord God, I shall not want...what could there possibly be that I could need or want that He could not provide?

He makes total provision for my physical body: I lie down in green pastures and am lead by quiet waters. For a sheep, this refers to their every physical need—food, water, and rest. Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 6, where He pointed out that our Heavenly Father knows we have need of these things. Our Shepherd will provide.

Psalm 23 also says 'my cup overflows.' This is a great picture of God's abundant nature...don't you think He'd know when to stop pouring? 'Look, God, it's getting near the top—it's almost full—stop, it's overflowing!' That's how we think—don't waste anything—and it is a conditioned response to lack. But God doesn't think like that..He keeps pouring 'til there's more than enough! He is an 'all things' God and has given us 'all things' richly to enjoy! Not meagerly, not from a 'you can't have much because there won't be enough to go around' mentality...pour it all over the table and down the legs to the floor, just to make sure we're good and satisfied! Overflowing!

There's a passage in Deuteronomy 28 that always makes me think..."So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things..."

Now, this is part of the curse borne by Jesus, so it doesn't really apply to us. But it gives great insight into God's will for His people, both natural [Israel] and spiritual [the Church].

Israelites
Take a look at the Israelites. They questioned His ability to provide at every turn, and it infuriated Him! Psalm 78 paints a clear picture: He always provided for them, sometimes in miraculous ways, yet they constantly whined and doubted His intention or ability or both! 'Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath...' [v.21].

However, He still continued to provide for them!! His bare-minimum provisions were out of mercy and because of His covenant Word to Abraham...they were not His best will. Hebrews 3 says they did not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief, and I Corinthians 10:5 says 'Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.'

Since we know by Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please Him without faith, we can see that it is faith in His ability and desire to provide for us.

He was not pleased. My personal opinion was that it took 40 years for the unbelievers with the slave mentality to die out—He knew it would take that long, it wasn't really a punishment per se. He needed them to get to the Promised Land to fulfill His Word to Abraham, and they were screwing around!

Not just them, but us, too, when we doubt the faithfulness of His covenant promises to us. Remember 2 Corinthians 1:20: 'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.'

For Us
Philippians 4 says that He supplies our need '...according to His riches in glory...' That speaks of a King Who lavishes His children with abundance! Psalm 34:10 says '...they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.' And Isaiah 60 describes abundance of incredible proportions!

It becomes clear that the beliefs so commonly held that God is unwilling to bless us materially are in complete contradiction to His Word, and place us in a state of unbelief that actually displeases Him.

Hebrews 4:16 tells us to '...draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.'

Grace is God's favor: the dictionary defines grace as 'favor or service freely rendered, good will; the act of showing or granting such favor.' One of the definitions of favor is 'special treatment prompted by friendliness, liking, or approval.'

What could we ask that He could not, or more importantly, would not, provide? If prayerfully considered and based on His word, what could we ask that He would not want to shower us with? When we come to a place of leaning completely on Him for our every need and desire, realizing that He is already working in us to will and to work for His good pleasure--and we know that He '...delights in the prosperity of His servant.'

Whatever

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." [John 15:7,8]

"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." [John 16:23,24]

I guess Jesus must've figured we'd be pretty dense. He repeated these blanket prayer promises three times in three chapters! It was if He thought 'Yikes, I'm going to have to repeat Myself so these morons will get it!' [writer's license...I don't think that's actually in the Bible...besides, if He saw us as morons, it would be as deceived morons that He loves]

He must've seen that we'd be beaten over the head with sermons like Sometimes the Answer is No, or You Can't Always Know What God is Going To Do...so He said it, again and again and again.

Let's be determined to please Him. Let's lay aside all doctrines of error that tell us why the promises of God may not work for us and stand in faith, pleasing Him, for all that He has provided!

See also Already Answered, Guess What, Visual Prayer, What Faith Is, Finished.

You Are the Second Witness

This is good...

'...on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.' [Deuteronomy 19:15]

The Hebrew word for matter here is our old friend dabar...defined as speech, word, speaking, thing, something. Both a word and a thing...because words are things!

Who are the two witnesses?

One is the forever settled, eternal Word of God. The second is your word...you either agree or you don't.

God spoke and it was created. Not just in Genesis...ALL OF THE WORD! Think about the prophets...God had already spoken and His works already finished. But there had to be a confirming witness to bring it into the earth.

For any dabar—word/thing—to be established there must be a confirming witness...that's us!

Consider this:

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,the blessing and the curse. SO CHOOSE LIFE in order that you may live, you and your descendants..." [Deuteronomy 30:19]

And this...

'Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness,through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent PROMISES, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.' [2 Peter 1:2-4]

He gave us His Word so that we could partake of His nature! We are born again, of imperishable seed, which is the living and enduring Word of God. [1 Peter 1:23]

How are you born again? By believing in your heart and CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH! [Romans 10:10] You were the second witness! 

AND YOU ONLY HAD TO DO IT ONCE!!!

In fact, this is exactly what Jesus was doing when He prayed the Lord's prayer..."Your will be done IN EARTH as it is in heaven..."

Mary, too, when she told Gabriel "Be it done to me according to your word."

What about this scripture?

'For as many as are the PROMISES of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him is our AMEN to the glory of God through us.' [2 Corinthians 1:20]

The Hebrew word Amen means surely, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It is the confirming word...the confirming witness!

His witness...His Word, His promises, confirmed by our Amen, to become YES in the earth and give Him glory.

Get Started
Here are a few great and wonderful Words to confirm, out loud, in your life...

• All things belong to me, I belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
• I can do all things IN Christ Who strengthens me
• All things are possible for me because I believe
• By His scourging I AM HEALED
• Every obstacle has been removed from my path
• Every promise of God is YES and AMEN—SO BE IT, IT IS FULFILLED—in Him
• The blessing of Abraham has come upon me in Christ Jesus
• My children are mighty in the earth...they are taught of the Lord and their well-being...SHALOM...is great!
• I am surrounded by FAVOR as a shield
• Jesus has become TO ME wisdom...the anointing which I have teaches me all things

Et cetera...you get the idea.

Set your purpose to be the second witness to His magnificent promises in your life today. I'm doin' it!

Hallelujah!

In, Through

We've all heard this very familiar verse...

'I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.' [Philippians 4:13]

The Greek word for through in this verse is en...a primary prepostion denoting a FIXED POSITION in place, time or state!

It is defined in the Greek lexicon as IN, by or with.

Interesting. Why oh why is it translated as through?

Don't get me wrong...I can do all things through Him is wonderful, but the meaning is so much clearer when you replace through with in.

I can do all things IN Him Who strengthens me! Through implies a transient event, but IN is IN! We are IN Christ Jesus, not once in a while, or if we can manage to pull it off randomly, but always! We are IN Christ Jesus!

Here's another interesting fact. John 1 tells us the Jesus is the Word. This is not just a Christmas verse, it is spiritual reality, back up by multiplied scriptures...and we are the Word multiplied, born of the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God!

Do The Math
If Jesus = the Word, then I can do all things IN the WORD which strengthens me!

Colossians 1:11 tells us that we are strengthened with ALL POWER...how? By being one Spirit with the Lord...one Spirit with the Word!

We console ourselves with Philippians 4:13 when facing seemingly insurmountable circumstance...but I don't think we as a Body have grasped it's true meaning.

This scripture is not just some Christian platitude, suitable for t-shirts and support groups! It is spiritual reality. We are always IN Him, in time and place, seated with Him in heavenly places, eternal both forward and back! We were chosen IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD!

And we are strengthened with all power because we are IN Him!

Strengthened to be mighty in the earth, to reign in life through the One, Christ Jesus. [Romans 5:17]

An interesting aside...the Greek word through in this verse is dia...meaning the channel of an act. This word is translated as through or by the means of, but also as IN!

We can do all things IN Him, always, because we are always IN Him. We reign THROUGH Him...He is the channel of the act of reigning in life!

Hallelujah!

In, through...it's ALL good!

Greater

Jesus said something very interesting...well, He said lots of very interesting things. This is one of them.

"I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." [Luke 7:28]

The LEAST in the kingdom of God is greater than the greatest prophet in the Old Covenant!

Greater than David? Greater than Abraham? Greater than Solomon?

Joshua? Isaiah?

Moses?

Think about the things they did, by the power of the Old Covenant!

Defeated Goliath, split the Red Sea, conquered the Promised Land!

Abraham became the Father of Nations, heir of the world!

Solomon was the wisest, richest man in the earth! Isaiah saw the Messiah and the glory of the church centuries before it happened!

Prophecy
First, this is an amazing scripture. It's hard for us to wrap our heads around, especially those of us who really are least in the kingdom of God!

I think Jesus was prophesying over us...decreeing what we would be...calling the end from the beginning.

'All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.' [John 1:3]

He knew that we would be one Spirit with Him, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ. He knew that we would be born of the incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God...and HE IS THE WORD! He knew that we were about to be crucified with Him, raised up together with Him and seated in heavenly places in Him.

Stronger than Samson? Richer than Job? More politically powerful than Joseph? More protected than Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace? How about Daniel in the lion's den?

Really?

Greater Works
Think about John 14:12...

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."

This is JESUS talking! Greater works than He did?

When He walked up to the tomb of Lazarus and called him out, did He mean that? When He cursed the fig tree, did He mean that?

When He told us to speak to mountains and trees like He spoke to storms and sick bodies, did He mean that?

When He said we had authority over ALL the works of the enemy, that we would trample the serpent and lion, did He mean that?

Religion
The problem with religion is that it's primary goal seems to be to explain how these things are not true. Why they don't really mean this, they really mean that, why the answer is sometimes no...why it's all passed away, blah blah woof woof. Every great and wonderful promise is only for heaven.

Get this...according to Ephesians 2:6, we're IN heaven, right now! So if it's only for heaven, we're golden.

But we are supposed to be the Body of Christ IN THE EARTH! Why would He want us weak, poor and powerless?

I think Jesus meant what He said. When He cursed the fig tree and then told us we could do the same, He knew what He was talking about. He knew that even unregenerate man had authority over the physical in the earth...He saw what they did at the tower of Babel!

I think He spend three years giving us example after example of what we would be able to do as His Body in the earth. He knew that we would be greater than the greatest prophets because He would be in us, one Spirit with Him, with the Father, with the Holy Spirit.

Either He's Lord or He's not. If He didn't mean what He said, we've got big problems.

Think about it.